It's Complicated
by Poesia-Raro
Summary: High school version on popular demand . Three guys- and three girls- learn just how complicated relationships can get sometimes.
1. Never Attend A Party Without Your GF

**::/It's Complicated/::**

"Viv, pass me that," Daya gestured vaguely in the direction, and Vivek passed him the TV remote. Daya took one look at it, and groaned loudly. "Not this, Vivek!" He jabbed a finger towards what he had originally meant. "THAT!"

"Oh," Vivek said, looking embarrassed, and hastily passed Daya the bottle of Coke that had been next to the TV remote. Opening it, Daya took a long swig before fixing shrewd eyes on Vivek. "Where were you? Lost in La-La-Land? Or should I call it Tasha-Land?"

Vivek's fair face went brilliant scarlet as Daya howled with laughter. Just then, the door was opened with unnecessary force and Abhijeet strode in looking like a thundercloud.

"What the hell is so funny?" he barked at Daya, who abruptly stopped laughing and gave his best friend a curious look. "What's with _you?"_

Abhijeet made no reply but to fling himself onto the sofa and scowl at the ceiling. Vivek, understanding at once, shook his head in exasperation, trying not to smile. Daya, on the other hand, took it much more seriously. He scrambled up off the floor and went over to Abhijeet, sitting down beside him. "Dude, what's the matter? Something wrong?"

The 'dude' in question let out a single frustrated growl, and banged his fist on the sofa.

"Why the hell are women so... so bloody _complicated!" _he burst out, and Daya smacked himself on the forehead as he realised what Abhijeet was so worked up about. "Sheesh! And to think I actually got scared for a minute there!"

That earned him one of Abhijeet's famous death-glares. "And just what do you mean by-"

Vivek hurriedly cut in before the potential battle could start. "Guys, guys! We'll discuss that later! Right now the question is..." he turned to Abhijeet with an expectant look in his hazel eyes. "What. On. Earth. Happened?"

That made Abhijeet change track at once, adopting a mournful-kitty approach instead of the mad-wildcat one he had favoured a few minutes earlier. "We had a fight. And she's probably never gonna speak to me again."

Daya winced. "Ouch. What did you do?"

"Let's just say I accidentally it slip that Maya and Shruti happened to be at Daksh's birthday party yesterday."

"Oh my God." Vivek's jaw dropped. "You did not. Please tell me you didn't."

Abhijeet gave him a look. "Uh, Vivek, would I be sitting here like this right now if I hadn't?" He grimaced, pushing his hair out of his face. "And I may have also let it slip that they were both being a little _too _friendly."

Despite himself, Daya couldn't stop the wide, incredulous grin that spread over his face. "And you're still alive? Knowing Tarika, I'd have expected your ashes to be in a holy river by now!"

Vivek, however, was more interested in knowing the real story. "So what happened once Tarika found out that Medusa and Snivelly- uh, I mean Maya and Shruti- were there and being-" he made quote marks with his fingers "-a little _too _friendly?"

"What do you think happened?" Abhijeet sighed heavily. "She told me to go hang out with them and leave her alone to die of pneumonia."

_"Pneumonia?" _Daya spluttered, choking on the mouthful of Coke he had just taken. Vivek tapped him on the head several times before the Coke finally went down, and Daya stared at Abhijeet disbelievingly. "She has pneumonia? And you're calmly sitting here and talking about it?"

Abhijeet rolled his eyes. "Please. She has a cold. Well, okay, a _really_ bad one, but still... come on, there's a limit to overreaction!"

"Abhijeet." Vivek's voice was patient, the kind usually used by preschool teachers while dealing with tantrums. "Listen to yourself. OK, we all know Maya's the most evil female in school, but Sniv- I mean Shruti, is an entirely different matter. If Tarika had gone to a party without you and some guy she used to like came and hit on her, how would _you _have reacted?" Vivek shook his head. "Sorry, but it's the truth."

That shut Abhijeet up all right, and Daya flashed Vivek a look of pride before turning back to his best friend. "Look, yaar, there's one thing you have to understand about girls... they aren't like us."

"You don't say?" Vivek interjected sarcastically.

"Will you let me finish!"

Vivek fell silent, and Daya continued, his tone serious. "And I don't mean just physically. Their thinking, their psychology, their emotions, their moods-"

"Particularly their moods," muttered Abhijeet.

"Yeah- and basically everything about them- is totally different. If a girl says 'okay' to something you ask her, she means-"

"Do whatever the hell you want and just leave me alone," Vivek said helpfully.

"Exactly. 'I'm fine' means-"

"My world is crumbling around me and I need a hug but you're too dumb to realise it, you pigheaded moron."

"Bingo. 'It's OK' means-" Daya gestured to Vivek to finish the sentence, and the latter did so with enthusiasm.

"Means I forgive you for the time being, but you can be sure as hell that I'm never forgetting this. And I'll make sure to bring it up and use it as a secret weapon the next time we have a fight."

Abhijeet was now at a total loss for words as he looked dazedly at Vivek. "Dude... _how?"_

Vivek smiled modestly with a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders. "One of the perks of having a girl for a best friend. Some people make fun of me for it, but they're the ones getting dumped the next second because they 'just don't know how to treat girls'."

Abhijeet and Daya laughed, and suddenly Daya's mobile vibrated in his jeans pocket. He pulled it out to see a new message.

"Ah, look who's texting Daya," Abhijeet said, smirking, and Daya snatched his mobile out of his best friend's view. Unfortunately for him, this movement brought the text message straight into Vivek's line of vision.

_"You can go and tell your precious best friend that he's lucky I'm not coming there and breaking his face for breaking my best friend's heart. Better keep him safe, there are way more desperate girls out there than Maya and Shruti... and as we all know, he can't defend himself against girls to save his life."_ Vivek let out a long, low whistle. "Whoa, Muskaan must have amazingly flexible fingers if she actually typed all of that!"

Daya shot him a glare, and Vivek held up his hands, grinning. "Don't worry, I already have a girl whom I love very much. Well, she doesn't know it," he admitted, his face falling slightly, "but still."

"Why don't you just tell her?" Abhijeet asked. "I mean, for goodness sake, how long are you two going to friendzone each other?"

Vivek raised his eyebrows at Abhijeet. "So says the guy who was so scared to tell Tarika he likes her that he tried to get me to make Tasha tell her for him?"

Abhijeet buried his face in his hands, and Daya burst out laughing. "Yaar Vivek, no one told me it was Give Abhijeet Constant Nosecuts Day!"

"With friends like you guys, I sure don't need enemies!" Abhijeet snapped from in between his fingers.

/\\/\\/\\

Meanwhile, a similar gathering was taking place in another room, in another area of the city.

"I just- hic- wish I'd never asked him- hic- how Daksh's party wen... wen... aaaaaccchhhhhooo!"

Well, not exactly similar.

"It's a good thing we're not in school right now," Muskaan growled as she paced back and forth around Tarika's room, "else I'd have brutally murdered Medusa and Snivelly!"

"Muskaan," Tasha said in a long-suffering tone. She was sitting on a beanbag beside Tarika's bed, one hand on her head in exasperation as she watched Muskaan storming around. "Please. You're acting as if they're the only girls in school who hit on Abhijeet."

Tarika burst into tears all over again, and Tasha looked horrified. "No, no, no! I didn't mean it like that, honestly I didn't!"

"You may not," Tarika wailed, angrily scrubbing at her face with the crumpled handkerchief she was holding, "but everyone else does, don't they? Because the popular opinion, in that jungle we call a school, dictates that girls who spend half their time in the chemistry lab aren't allowed to have lives-"

"Oh, shut up, princess," Muskaan scolded. "If that was true, then girls who spend every waking moment practicing the martial arts would have to be locked away in a tower." She did a swift kung fu move to vent her feelings.

"And girls who practically live in front of a piano wouldn't be considered human beings," Tasha put in dryly. "So I think I can safely say that the fact that you're the smartest girl in our grade has nothing to do with the fact that every female in school under the age of nineteen drools over Abhijeet like a dog over a fresh bone. With the exception of me, Muskaan and Niyati, of course."

"Because Niyati is way too cool for any guy in our school," Muskaan agreed, grinning. "Plus Tasha's always been Abhijeet and Daya's little sister, and I would rather die than betray my best friend." She hugged Tarika, who smiled briefly through her tears.

"And anyway, Tarika," Tasha continued, a frown twisting her pretty face. "I can't believe you're being insecure over Maya and Shruti of all people. I mean, come on! You're so much better for Abhijeet than-"

"Maya doesn't even have to be considered a problem," Muskaan snorted. "I could take her down with a single slap any day. Shruti, on the other hand..." she glanced at Tarika, who hung her head, her curls tumbling forward to fall over her shoulders.

Tasha bit her lip awkwardly. "I know." She shook her head in bemusement. "I always wondered what on earth Abhijeet saw in her. Not to mention..." she broke off with a slight grin. "I probably shouldn't be saying so, but she kinda looks like a female version of Robert Pattinson. From Twilight, of course," she added mischievously.

Muskaan and Tarika giggled in spite of themselves. "You're right, actually!" Muskaan observed, chuckling. "Same complexion, pretty much the same hair colour, and definitely the same expressions." She pulled a long-suffering expression truly worthy of Shruti as well as Edward Cullen, and Tarika smacked her lightly on the arm, though she was grinning broadly. "Don't be so mean, Musi."

"Whatever it is," Tasha said, smiling, "the fact we're trying to prove here is that you have no competition. Not from Shruti, not from Maya, and certainly not from that creepy Samara female who just transferred here from Goa." She shuddered at the very thought.

"I know!" Muskaan exclaimed vigorously, her eyes wide. "You wouldn't believe it, but Niyati actually told me she saw her following Abhijeet around the other day, telling him how much he looks like her ex-boyfriend Manoj."

"Are you _serious?" _Tarika sat bolt upright, staring at her best friend. "She's _stalking _him?"

Tasha giggled. "Don't worry. I saw her yesterday, trying the same trick with Sachin. Only this time it was her childhood sweetheart Dhruv."

All three girls burst into peals of laughter, and suddenly Tasha's phone rang. She quickly reached over and picked it up. "Hey Vivek." Her brow furrowed as Vivek said something. "What? Why?" She glanced at Tarika and Muskaan, who were looking questioningly at her. "OK... OK we're coming."

She hung up, shrugging her shoulders in bewilderment before her friends could ask her what the matter was. "Vivek said we have to go out onto the balcony right away. I tried asking why, but he wouldn't tell me."

"Well, let's go find out," Muskaan said, getting up from the bed. Since Tarika's pyjama top was sleeveless, she tossed a sweater at her. "Put this on, you don't want your cold to get worse."

Once that was done, the three girls went, as per Vivek's instructions, out onto the balcony, squinting in the sudden sunlight. Once her eyes had adjusted, Tasha immediately broke into a wide grin. "Tarika," she said, tugging at her friend's sleeve. "Look."

Tarika looked, and a gasp escaped her lips. Abhijeet was outside her house, sitting on his bike. When he looked up and saw her, he got off the bike, knelt to the ground and clutched his ears in apology, gazing pleadingly up at her with his best Puss In Boots expression.

"Oh no, not _that!"_ Tarika couldn't help smiling, and shook her head down at Abhijeet. "Why do I always end up falling for that? I must be crazy!"

Abhijeet grinned. "Well, of course you are. You're crazy about me." Muskaan and Tasha laughed and nudged Tarika teasingly, and she blushed and buried her face in her hands, exactly as Abhijeet himself had done a while ago.

"Uh, girls, could you tell her to hurry up and get down here already? My knees are hurting!"

Tarika's head snapped up at that, and Tasha gave her a small shove. "Well, what are you waiting for? New Year? Go on!"

/\\/\\/\\

"Of all the times for me to get a co... co... coaaaaaccchhhhhhhooo!"

"Your own fault," quipped Vivek as Abhijeet's watering eyes glared at him over his handkerchief. "We didn't ask you to kiss her, did we?"

"As I recall, she protested quite a bit too," Daya drawled, not taking his eyes off the cricket match he was watching on TV. "But the power of raging adolescent hormones was too much for our poor little Abhijeet to fight."

"Oh, shut up!" Abhijeet said heatedly. "I'm not made of cardboard, for goodness sake! And anyway," he continued, a dangerous glint entering his eyes, "we'll see who's talking about adolescent hormones when you and Muskaan finally admit that you're madly in lo-"

"OK, OK!" Daya said loudly, and sighed in immense relief when there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it!" He hurried over and opened the door, and Abhijeet's face lit up at once as Tarika sailed into the room, looking like she'd just won the lottery.

"Guess what!" she sang, jumping onto Abhijeet's bed and grinning from ear to ear.

"You got into Harvard?" Vivek asked, smiling.

"You won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry?" Daya suggested with a smirk.

Tarika rolled her eyes. "Come _on_, guys!"

"OK, what is it?" asked Abhijeet, and Tarika beamed. "My cousin's getting maaaarrrriiieeed!" she squealed, bouncing up and down on the bed like a toddler. "Next week! And we're all going there!"

"Nice!" Daya said as Vivek nodded in agreement. Abhijeet, however, was focusing on the latter part of what she had said. "You're all going _there?_ Going where?"

"Delhi, of course!" Tarika said happily. "That's where my cousin lives, remember?"

"Wh- Delhi?" Abhijeet's jaw dropped. "For how long?" he asked weakly, dreading the answer.

"Two weeks-" Tarika broke off in mid-sentence with a startled gasp as Abhijeet fainted clean away. _"Abhijeet?"_

"Oh, God," groaned Daya as he picked up the water bottle that was thankfully placed on the bedside table. "I don't want to live on this planet anymore."

/\\/\\/\\

A/N: Well, how was the first chapter? Yay or nay? Like or dislike? Please review! (It's the only thing that keeps me going.)

And by the way, no offense meant to Shruti fans and Twilight fans! Sorry! :)


	2. Never Be Tactless With Compliments

"OK, it's because of the imperfect shielding of electrons in the... wait, let me check!"

Abhijeet barely had time to blink before Tarika reached up and snatched her Chemistry textbook agitatedly out of his hands. He sighed and ran a hand wearily through his hair. "Why do you even make me ask you if you won't even let me check the answer?"

He was sitting on a beanbag, with Tarika sitting on the floor in between his legs. She handed the book back to him, apparently satisfied that her answer had been correct. "OK, next..."

Flipping to the next page, Abhijeet was just about to ask her the next question when the partially closed door was pushed open and Daya stormed into the room and looked down at both of them with his hands on his hips. "Hey, Tarika, quick question... why the hell is every member of your gender so damn _complicated?"_

Tarika's eyebrows flipped towards her hairline, and she tilted her head up to look into Abhijeet's confused face. He gave her a shrug that plainly said 'I have no clue', and she turned back to Daya. "What's the matter?"

Daya sat down on Abhijeet's bed, his broad shoulders slumping as he sighed. "I was just complimenting her, and she got up and left!"

"Uh, Daya?" Abhijeet shook his head. "We no understand riddles."

"Start from the beginning," Tarika said patiently.

"Well, it goes like this." Daya accompanied his narration with forceful gestures. "After lunch I just happen to go innocently to the Freeze Zone near my house to get ice cream like a normal person. And guess who I meet?"

"Muskaan," Abhijeet and Tarika chorused the obvious answer, and Daya snorted. "Who else. And seriously, she's the only girl I know who can look like a million bucks even in an old Deccan Chargers sweatshirt-"

"OK, OK!" Abhijeet said hastily before his best friend could drift off into Muskaan dreamland. "What happened then?"

"Well, of course we got ice cream and sat down," Daya continued. "And she was telling me about the karate tournament she has next week."

"For which she's been practicing for the past one-and-a-half months," Tarika supplied. "But go on, Daya."

"Yeah, so she was telling me all about it, and needless to say, everything was going great. Then I said- just to tease her, you know- that she'll probably have a tough time getting a boyfriend seeing as how she can pound the hell out of any guy..." Daya trailed off, looking befuddled. "And you wouldn't believe it, she just gave me this really disgusted look, and before I knew it she got up and left! Just like that!" Daya flung his hands up in a gesture of helplessness. "I was complimenting her, for heaven's sake!"

Tarika dropped her Chemistry book onto her lap and facepalmed herself with an exasperated groan. _"Men!"_

Abhijeet gave his girlfriend an offended look. "I sincerely hope that derisive generalisation doesn't include me!" he snarled, and Tarika sighed. "Oh please, Abhijeet, get over yourself. You're all the same at some point or the other. But seriously, Daya," she added, looking up to meet Daya's incredulous gaze, "sorry, but you were kind of tactless."

_"Tactless?"_ Daya couldn't believe his ears. "Please elaborate, Miss Know-it-all."

She rolled her eyes. "OK, listen carefully." Her voice took on a patient, explaining tone, rather like Dr. Salunkhe's when he was teaching a particularly difficult lesson. "It's obvious that you were _trying _to compliment Muskaan. But why on earth did you have to add that part about her not getting a boyfriend?"

"Well-" Daya became flustered, obviously not finding an answer. "Well... just like that... I don't know!" he said lamely, and Abhijeet snickered. "Now you'll have to admit I'm better, won't you, _gatita?" _he asked Tarika, who made a face up at him.

"What did you call her?" asked Daya, interested, and Abhijeet smirked. "_Gatita?_ Oh, it means kitten. Appropriate name, don't you think?" He tweaked Tarika's nose, and she swatted his hand away. "Stop it, _picaro_."

"And what did _you _call _him?"_ Daya raised questioning eyebrows at Tarika, who smiled mischievously. "It means rascal. Which is even more appropriate, in my opinion." Abhijeet tickled her, and she giggled.

"Muskaan calls me stuff in Japanese when she gets mad," Daya reminisced, but before he could continue a new voice rang brightly into the room. "Waazzzzaaaapppp!"

"Hi, Vivek," Abhijeet said in a bored voice. "Yaar, how much longer are you gonna keep trying that old trick? It never works anymore, we all know it's you!"

"Aw, fine, spoilsports." Vivek sauntered into the room, carrying a big shopping bag, which he deposited into Tarika's lap, right on top of her still-open Chemistry textbook. _"Vivek!"_ she exclaimed indignantly, and kept the textbook safely aside before peering into the bag. "What's this?"

"Sustenance, of course," Vivek said cheerfully, flopping down into Abhijeet's computer chair as she pulled bottles of Coke and numerous chocolate bars out of the bag. "I figured Daya could use some."

"And what gave you that idea?" Daya enquired, looking suspiciously at Vivek, who grinned back at him. "I happened to meet Tasha in the shop, and she mentioned that you had a little disagreement with Muskaan earlier."

Abhijeet burst out laughing, holding Tarika around the shoulders to prevent himself from falling right off his beanbag, and Daya scowled at his best friend before giving Vivek a long-suffering look. "Does the whole world know already?"

Vivek chuckled. "Not the whole world. Just me and Tasha. And she wouldn't even have told me if I hadn't happened to meet her."

"Guys!" Tarika, obviously feeling the need for a voice of reason among the mess the boys were creating, spoke up sharply. "That's enough! Vivek?" She pointed a warning finger at him. "Teasing wounded tigers is never a good idea. Daya-" the finger swung in Daya's direction "-let me speak, and please don't interrupt. And _you."_ She gave Abhijeet a threatening look. "Don't you dare put your smart comments in, and if you tickle me I swear I will return your promise ring."

"I won't," Abhijeet said hastily. "I swear I won't. You go ahead."

"Thank you," Tarika said curtly before turning back to Daya. "Look, Daya, there's one thing you have to know about girls- when you're complimenting them, strictly keep it about _them_. Don't bring up other topics, and _especially _not their potential to get boyfriends!" She smiled suddenly, her eyes twinkling. "Though I'd have loved to see Muskaan's face when you said that."

"Tarikaaaaaaa!" Daya whined, and Abhijeet snorted. "You asked for it!" Seeing Tarika's glare, he fell silent, and Vivek grinned.

"OK, fine!" Daya raised his hands for attention. "Tarika, you told me what my mistake was, well and good. But now tell me, since you know everything there is to know, what I'm supposed to do about it now."

"Yeah, Tarika, you should just become an agony aunt for a psychology magazine," Vivek laughed.

Tarika shook her head, though she was half-smiling, and Abhijeet stuck his tongue out at his friends as he hugged Tarika. "That's my girlfriend, you numpties!"

"And they're your best friends, you git," Tarika scolded, hitting him on the arm. "But yeah, Daya, in answer to your question..." she sighed. "Frankly, it's easier to move a mountain than it is to convince Muskaan to accept an apology. She's my best friend and I love her and all that, but she's too proud for her own good."

Daya's face filled with a concerned wariness. "So what should I do?"

.

/\\/\\/\\

.

"I honestly can't believe I let you guys talk me into this."

"Just do it already!"

"Yaar, at least send Tarika home, she probably shouldn't see this-"

"No way! I have a right to know what's going on with my best fr-"

"I'll _tell _you what happened, baby, now you- OUCH!"

"Would you guys shut up!" Vivek hissed. "This is a dojo, for heaven's sake! Tarika..." he turned to her apprehensively. "You're absolutely sure her class is over?"

"Please, Vivek, you've asked me that six times already!" Tarika stood on tiptoe, trying to peer through the window. "But let me check just in case..." She craned her neck to get a better look, and Abhijeet grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the ground. "Better?"

"Perfect," Tarika said appreciatively, and held on to the windowsill to balance herself. "Yeah, the class is over... a bunch of people are just lounging around... aha!" she said triumphantly. "I see Muskaan!"

"Where?" Daya asked at once, and Tarika gasped suddenly. "Abhijeet, let me down! Quick!"

Abhijeet hurriedly put her down, looking worriedly at her flustered face. "What happened?"

"One of the guys in there almost saw me," Tarika blurted out. "Daya, I think we better hurry up and get in there before they call the police or something."

"As if," Vivek scoffed. "All of them are qualified in karate, they'll probably just settle for putting all of us in the hospital."

"Yeah, that's really making me feel better!" Tarika snapped at him. "Now can we get in there, _please?"_

The four of them proceeded tentatively towards the entrance, Abhijeet keeping a protective hold on Tarika's hand all the while. As they entered, everyone stared at them as though they'd seen aliens. Looking around, Tarika felt incredibly out of place in her pink T-shirt and floral skirt, in a room full of people wearing pants.

No one, however, looked more surprised than Muskaan, who was still in her karate uniform with her hair pulled into a messy braid. "What are you guys doing _here?" _she asked, coming forward. When her eyes fell on Daya, her face went blank. "Oh."

Daya felt very uncomfortable all of a sudden, which was saying something. "Uh, look, Muskaan, I..." he glanced sideways at Tarika, mentally beseeching for help, and she gave him an encouraging nod. When he turned back to Muskaan, however, the words seemed to die in his throat.

"Screwed," Abhijeet muttered. "My friend, you are S-C-R-ewed."

Muskaan took a deep breath, and spoke in a quiet voice which still echoed all around the room. "I know why you're here, Daya. And I'm ready to give you a chance. But I'm not gonna make it easy."

"Meaning?" Daya was confused.

"Meaning..." Muskaan blew her bangs out of her eyes and faced him squarely. "If you want me to forgive you, you'll have to defeat me first. One-on-one." There was a challenge in her eyes as she looked at him, and Daya knew she meant business. And like the true sportsman he was, he rose to the challenge. "You're on."

Tarika's jaw dropped, and Abhijeet's eyes widened. "Uh-oh..." he breathed, wincing. "Not good. Not good at all." He slipped an arm around Tarika's waist and caught Vivek's wrist with his other hand, discreetly pulling them out of what would soon become the battle arena.

Muskaan stood ready, her posture like that of an animal waiting to pounce. Daya, his eyes never leaving hers, removed his watch, bracelet and rings and handed them to Vivek along with his mobile phone.

The battle that followed was unlike any ever seen before in the dojo. What Muskaan lacked in size and power, she made up for in swiftness and agility, and Daya was finding it increasingly difficult to gain the upper hand.

"Come on, Daya," Abhijeet was mumbling frantically, his Bournville eyes shining with sheer desperation, and Tarika was biting her lip anxiously, all her fingers crossed. Vivek, on the other hand, was watching with thorough enjoyment, occasionally applauding when either Daya or Muskaan did a particularly impressive move.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, Muskaan lay on the floor, completely exhausted. Daya knelt over her, breathing heavily, his muscled arms glistening with a sheen of sweat. They looked at each other, and the next second both of them started laughing.

"Thank God!" Tarika exclaimed, and in sheer relief gave Abhijeet a big hug, which caused his already broad smile to light up his entire face. Beside them, Vivek was grinning gleefully, waving his mobile phone around with a triumphant air.

"Just wait till I put this on YouTube!"

.

/\\/\\/\\

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A/N: Well! Did the second chapter live up to the expectations? I'll know only if you review, so please do!

By the way, Abhijeet's line "That's my girlfriend, you numpties" is actually a line said by Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) in the movie _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2_.

Vivek's line "Waazzzaaapppp" is from _Scary Movie 2_.

And Tarika's line "Sorry, but you were kind of tactless" was inspired by Hermione Granger's similar line in the book _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix._

For those of you who don't know, and also so I don't get sued with copyright issues. :)


	3. Never Assume That Plans Work Out

A/N: First off, I'm SO sorry I didn't update for a long time, but this was a _really _difficult chapter to write. I spent about a week on it because I just couldn't think of any good ideas for it. But anyways, here it is!

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/\\/\\/\\

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"Catch it, Abhijeet! _Catch!"_ screamed Tarika, jumping up and down frantically as Abhijeet dashed along the boundary and made a flying leap- just in time to catch the ball.

"YES!" Muskaan shrieked, and Tarika squealed in delight, dancing around in the stands and hugging Niyati, who was on her other side. Meanwhile, on the field, Abhijeet grinned from ear to ear as the rest of the team gleefully tackled him, Daya being the first, of course.

"That's the seventh wicket, girls," Muskaan said fervently, her face glowing with excitement. "And all the remaining guys are bowlers! This is gonna be a piece of cake!"

"Don't be too sure!" Niyati craned her neck to see who had come to bat next, and she shook her head worriedly. "Uh-oh. It's that sneaky-looking bowler who got Sachin out earlier... what's his name again?"

"You mean that Rocky guy?" Tarika looked at the screen showing the players' names, and it confirmed her suspicion. "Yup, it's him. I've heard he isn't a bad batsman either."

"Heard from whom?" Muskaan raised her eyebrows at her best friend. "Who goes around talking about _him _of all people?"

Tarika gave her a look. "Abhijeet, of course. He _hates _that guy. In fact he was ranting about him for a full half hour before the match. I had to give him an extra kiss just to calm him down."

"I didn't realise Abhijeet took cricket matches so personally," Niyati said, looking surprised, and Tarika shook her head. "Oh, it runs much deeper than that. This Rocky got into a huge fight with Daya once, during a match."

"Why? What was his problem?" Muskaan asked, her eyes narrowing in anger at once.

"Well, the fight wasn't actually with Daya himself... Rocky was arguing with the umpire's decision. Daya got into the line just in time, but Rocky kept insisting that he was run out. Of course, when they showed the replay, it was obvious that Rocky was wrong-"

"Not just wrong, Tarika," Niyati interrupted, grinning broadly. "He's _out!"_

Tarika and Muskaan spun around to see that this was indeed true- Rocky, scowling darkly, was pulling off his helmet as he walked off the field. Some distance away, Abhijeet was smirking at his retreating figure, tossing the ball triumphantly to a beaming Daya.

"And _that_, girls," Muskaan yelled above all the whooping and cheering, "is what I call sweet revenge! The match'll be over in less than twenty minutes!"

As she predicted, it was all over in exactly seventeen minutes. The girls rushed down from the stands and stood outside the boundary, beaming as their team received the award. Once that was done, the boys came straight over, and Tarika ran and leaped into Abhijeet's arms, her face glowing. A grinning Daya pulled Muskaan into a hug that lifted her right off her feet, and she punched him on the shoulder, laughing. "Put me down, King Kong!"

"Ugh, don't kiss me," Tarika said in mock-disgust, putting her hand over Abhijeet's mouth before he could succeed in the attempt. "You're all sweaty."

"Oh, yeah?" Abhijeet leaned in and laid a smacking kiss right on her mouth before she could say anything else, and she blushed and slipped out of his arms. "Public place, remember?" she chided gently.

"Hang on," Daya said, looking around. "Where's Vivek? And Tasha?"

"Tasha didn't come," Muskaan said. "But isn't Vivek here? I thought he was a substitute player?"

"He is, but we didn't see him around since the match ended." Abhijeet's brow furrowed in concern. "You girls are sure you didn't see him-"

"See who?" a voice came from behind him, and everyone turned to see Vivek approaching. His navy-blue-and-gold team jersey was hanging lopsidedly, and his face was oddly flushed.

"You," Daya said. "Where on earth have you been? And where's Tasha?"

Vivek frowned. "Actually, I was going to ask you guys the same thing! I was off looking for her all this while... in fact I've combed every inch of the stadium but she isn't anywhere!"

"That's because she didn't even come in the first place," Tarika informed him. "Told us she had something to do. We tried asking, but she wouldn't tell us anything."

"Great," Vivek mumbled, and before anyone could reply, he walked off, his shoulders slumped. Tarika looked worriedly after him, and Muskaan shook her head, biting her lip. "Poor thing."

"He really wanted her to be here today," Abhijeet agreed and glanced sideways to meet Tarika's anxious eyes. He sighed and put an arm around her. "Don't worry. We'll take care of this."

"No, you won't!" Muskaan's voice was suddenly sharp, and then her tone softened. "This is between Vivek and Tasha. They have to take care of it on their own." She looked up at Daya for reassurance, and he nodded. "You're right." His tone, however, remained uncertain, and the girls exchanged looks. They would certainly have to do something.

.

/\\/\\/\\

.

Daya was adjusting his bike's left mirror when Muskaan strode out of Vivek's house, looking upset. She climbed onto the back of the bike, and Daya looked questioningly at her over his shoulder. "Well?"

Muskaan shook her head, her long straight hair swishing around her shoulders. "I'll tell you on the way. Let's just get out of here first."

And Daya drove off down the road. As promised, Muskaan filled him in on what the problem actually was. "This match was Vivek's first ever, wasn't it?"

"Yup."

"Well, you know how much he wanted Tasha to be there." Muskaan bit her lip. "He says he asked her why she didn't show up, and she told him she couldn't come."

"Did she say why?" Daya asked as he turned a corner.

"That's the problem," Muskaan sighed. "She's refusing to tell him anything. He told me he asked her at least a hundred times, but you know how she is when she becomes stubborn. Much worse than me, in fact, and people say _I'm _difficult."

"That, I'll admit you are," Daya said with a grin, pulling to a stop outside her house. "I'm gonna go hang out with Abhijeet for a while. Call me if anything comes up."

"OK." Muskaan gave him a smile, which he returned before leaving. As Muskaan entered her house, she pulled out her mobile and dialled Tarika's number. "Hey. Got anything?"

"No I didn't," Tarika answered, her voice frustrated, and Muskaan could hear the sound of a door slam. "She wouldn't tell me a single thing. I tried every possible tactic I know, but nope. Nothing at all. Believe me, Tasha only _looks _mild-mannered... she's a really tough nut to crack." This was followed by a thump.

"What's all that noise in the background?" Muskaan asked curiously. "Are you destroying the house or something?"

"I've just come back from the library!"

"Ah, no wonder." Muskaan suddenly gasped as she had a brainwave. "Hey, Tarika, I have a brilliant, no, _beyond brilliant _idea!"

.

/\\/\\/\\

.

"Where the hell are they? They should have been here by now!"

Tarika didn't even bother looking up from the fourteenth chapter of_ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_. "Muskaan, you called Daya to tell him about the plan exactly ten minutes ago. It would take him roughly five minutes to pass on the info to Abhijeet, and ten more minutes to go and pick him up. From Abhijeet's place it takes about fifteen minutes to get here. Which means they should be here in about twenty minutes, if I'm not wrong."

Muskaan groaned and sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall. "OK, Miss Know-it-all! Enough with the logical thinking already!"

If she had expected a reaction, she was disappointed, for Tarika merely smiled and turned a page. Surprisingly, however, there was a knock at the door a mere ten minutes later. "Girls? You in there?" said Daya's voice.

Scrambling up off the floor, Muskaan hurried to open the door. Daya entered the room, followed by Abhijeet, whose windswept hair was sticking up all over the place and falling in his eyes. Predictably, he went straight over to Tarika. "Hey, _gatita_." He raised his eyebrows at her hair, which was gathered back and held in place with a pencil. "What's with the new hairstyle?"

"Just to keep it out of my face," Tarika said, shrugging, and Abhijeet took the pencil out, sending her curls cascading right back down over her shoulders. "I'd prefer to not have a pencil poking me in the face when I do this," he said, and hugged her from behind. "What's that you're reading... hey, this part is awesome!"

And he began to read over her shoulder. On the other side of the room, Daya was attempting to convince Muskaan that everything would go as planned.

"Look, Muskaan, there's no way it won't work! I mean, assuming Vivek and Tasha do show up..."

"What?" Muskaan fairly shrieked in horror, and Daya hastened to reassure her. "No no, I mean, uh, I mean-"

"What's going on?"

"Vivek!" Daya and Muskaan spun around and Abhijeet and Tarika's heads snapped up to see Vivek standing in the doorway, looking thoroughly confused. Daya, the first one to gather his wits, quickly went and brought Vivek into the room. "Yaar, would someone explain to me what's happening here?" the latter demanded.

"Move over, you guys," Muskaan said, tugging on Abhijeet's shirt sleeve and Tarika's arm and pulling them to the side a little to make space on her bed for Vivek to sit down. No sooner had she done this than another figure appeared in the doorway- female this time.

"Hey, guys, what-" Tasha broke off abruptly as she noticed Vivek staring at her with the same shock she felt upon seeing him. Averting her eyes, she shot a look at Muskaan. "OK, what's going on here?"

"Well, it's obvious that you and Vivek aren't going to sort out your differences by yourselves," Muskaan replied, shrugging. "So we're just stepping in. You can call it a... what's the word, Tarika?"

"Intervention," Tarika said helpfully, from where she was sitting- due to the lack of space- halfway on the bed and halfway on Abhijeet's lap.

"Yes, that," Daya said, with a nod of acknowledgement in Tarika's direction before he turned back to Tasha, who was gaping incredulously at him. "Now both of you sit down and talk. Talk the whole thing over. If you'd prefer to do it alone, we'll step out for a while." Without waiting for an answer, he caught Muskaan's shoulders and propelled her firmly out of the room, giving Abhijeet and Tarika a Didn't-you-guys-hear-me look which of course made them get up and follow their best friends, leaving Vivek and Tasha alone.

"It's a good thing my mom isn't home," Muskaan remarked as she and Daya went to sit down in the living room. "If those two start screaming in there, she'd have thrown us all out of the house. Including me, and I'm her _daughter."_

Daya laughed. "Don't worry, you can move in with me. Into my garage, to be specific, cause I'm sure as hell not sharing my room with anyone." That earned him a whack on the arm with the TV remote.

From the kitchen entrance, Abhijeet rolled his eyes. "Okay, they're our best friends and they're both awesome people... but when it comes to each other, they're the biggest idiots in the world."

"Vivek and Tasha are hardly any better," Tarika reminded him. "They know full well that they can't live without each other, but are still determined to keep themselves in the friend zone."

Abhijeet gave her a smirk. "Then it's lucky I got myself out of that zone in time, huh?" he asked mischievously, and Tarika smiled. "Yes, it is. Only you seem to have it the other way around, _picaro_. It was _you _who stubbornly friendzoned me for ages." Abhijeet winced. "Well, okay, yeah."

Meanwhile, back in Muskaan's room, Vivek and Tasha were finding it difficult to even look at each other. Finally, Vivek decided to take a brave plunge.

"So why didn't you come to the match, really?"

Tasha lifted her head tentatively and met his gaze. There was hurt in them, but also a cautious wariness. She felt her face heat up, and quickly averted her eyes, muttering something Vivek couldn't hear.

"What?"

"I said," Tasha repeated, a little louder, "you'll laugh at me if I tell you."

Whatever Vivek had been expecting, it certainly wasn't that. "Why would I do that?"

Tasha buried her face in her hands with a groan. "Because it's so bloody embarrassing! Which is why I didn't tell you in the first place!" She banged her fists on her knees, her features twisted in a scowl. Looking at her, Vivek was now totally clueless as to what was actually going on here, and equally clueless as to what he should do about it.

He needn't have worried, however. The next minute, Tasha mumbled something else, determinedly avoiding his eyes.

"Uh, Tasha, would it kill you to talk a little audibly?"

"Bloody hell!" Tasha jumped up from Muskaan's bed, glaring down at Vivek with her arms folded. "Fine! I'll talk audibly! I wanted to come to see you play more than anything, okay? If I'd had to fight a damn battle to reach there, I'd have happily done it!"

Vivek opened his mouth, but Tasha held up a hand to cut him off. Her voice suddenly became awkward. "You know the twins didn't have school yesterday, right?"

That was even more unexpected. "Um, yeah," Vivek said, not sure where this was going. "But what's that got to do with-"

"Let me finish," Tasha interrupted, and Vivek obliged. Tasha took a deep breath. "They spent the day playing pirate ship... and unfortunately I was the hostage. They tied me to a chair and wouldn't let me move for the whole day. As luck would have it, my parents weren't home either."

He stared at her for several seconds before bursting out laughing. In the hall, Daya and Muskaan nearly jumped out of their skins, and in the kitchen, Abhijeet and Tarika, who had been very preoccupied, literally fell off the countertop in shock. As the four of them went cautiously to investigate, Vivek and Tasha appeared in the doorway of Muskaan's room, Vivek clutching his sides and howling with laughter. Tasha looked furious, but couldn't stop herself smiling at the same time.

"What the heck is wrong with you guys?" Muskaan demanded. "Tash, did you give him laughing gas or something?"

Vivek was by now laughing so hard that he had to clutch the doorframe for support, and Tasha groaned in exasperation and started laughing in spite of herself. Abhijeet and Daya looked at each other and shrugged in unison. Sometimes relationships were just too complicated to understand.

.

/\\/\\/\\

.

A/N: OK, that was the last chapter... at least, that's how I planned it. If you guys want, I can write an epilogue chapter, just to end the story better. Review and let me know! :)

For those who don't follow cricket, I tried to make it less confusing, but ultimately the feel is what matters and I hope I got that across.

And by the way "the twins" are Tasha's little brother and sister (whom I made up).


	4. The Importance of Coke

A/N: OK guys, this is the epilogue.

Before I start, let me say something about the many requests I'm getting to add more romantic scenes between Abhirika. I'd just like to say one thing- please remember that in this particular story, both of them are just 18 and 17, so adding too much romance wouldn't really be appropriate. Plus, this story is focusing on the _complications _in relationships, which kinda lessens the need for romantic scenes (but that is just my opinion, sorry if I offended anyone).

Anyways, now that that's cleared, here's the epilogue I promised!

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/\\/\\/\\

.

"Where's the Coke?"

"Here!" Muskaan held up the half-full bottle from where she was stretched out on the grass. Her jeans were rolled up above her ankles and her sneakers lay discarded a little distance away. Daya went over and sat down beside her, taking the bottle and grinning as something occurred to him. "You realise something?"

"What?" Abhijeet asked as he came out of the house. It was Saturday afternoon, and Vivek's turn to host the hangout. Thanks to the weather being perfect that day, everyone was lounging around the back garden.

Daya lifted the bottle of Coke into the air, and Abhijeet gave him a curious look, leaning against a nearby tree. "Coke?"

"This beverage," Daya said in a wise, serious tone, "has been the starting point of many notable incidents in our lives." Vivek, who was climbing another tree, snorted loudly, and Daya rolled his eyes. "Guys, I'm serious!" He looked reverently at the Coke bottle. "This Coke was what prepared me for Abhijeet and Tarika's big fight last month-"

"I thought we all agreed not to call it a 'fight', Daya," remarked Tarika as she emerged from the house, followed by Tasha. The latter immediately went over to the tree Vivek was in. "Hey, pass me some of those raw mangoes," she called, and Vivek grabbed the nearest branch and began to shake it vigorously. The mango dangling from it fell into Tasha's hands- but not before she was covered in a shower of leaves.

"Vivek!" she howled, and Vivek winced. "Sorry!"

"Really, Vivek, you couldn't have just taken the mango and given it to her?" Tarika asked exasperatedly. She went over and began to take the leaves out of Tasha's hair, chiding a sheepish-looking Vivek all the while. As she did so, Daya noticed Abhijeet watching her with a thoroughly besotted expression on his face.

"Hey," Daya said, prodding his best friend in the ribs. "Why are you staring at her like you've never seen her before?"

Abhijeet smiled faintly. "She'll be a really great mother someday."

"What the-" Muskaan sat up, gaping at Abhijeet. "Uh, Abhijeet, in case you've forgotten, we haven't even graduated high school yet, and already you're planning to-" She broke off when Abhijeet threw the empty Coke bottle at her. "I said _someday_," he said, rolling his eyes. "That doesn't mean _today_."

"Yeah, right," Daya said, smirking. "I bet you'll have decided your future kids' names before lunchtime, Abhijeet."

"What's before lunchtime?" Tarika asked, coming over. Abhijeet turned scarlet and Daya and Muskaan burst out laughing. Behind Tarika, Vivek and Tasha exchanged puzzled looks. Tarika raised her eyebrows questioningly at Abhijeet, who facepalmed himself and shook his head. "Don't ask," he said, his voice muffled by his hand, and Tarika shrugged and knelt on the grass behind him, her arms hanging around his neck as he caught hold of her hands.

Daya made a mock-disgusted face at them before continuing with his speech. "As I was saying, Coke got us through all the three major catastrophes that happened in the past month, and-"

"And it's over," Muskaan said dryly, waving the empty bottle in front of his face.

"When did that happen?" Daya exclaimed. Vivek and Tasha laughed as they sat down on his either side, and he rolled his eyes at both of them. "By the way, Abhijeet, what took you so long to reach here?" Daya asked.

Abhijeet made a face. "Oh, that's a long story. On the way I happened to run into Shru-"

No sooner had that single syllable left his mouth than Tarika snatched her hands free of his hold, looking extremely put out. Daya sighed heavily, and Muskaan and Tasha exchanged grimaces. Vivek merely shook his head with a long-suffering look and scrambled to his feet. "We need more Coke."

**~THE END~**

A/N: Hope you enjoyed! And thanks for all the reviews! You guys rock! :)


	5. Author's Note Please Read

_**Author's Note:**_

First off, this is not a chapter. I just wanted to clear some things.

I've probably hurt some sentiments here with some of my unusual ideas, for which I can only say I'm sorry you didn't like it, but it's OK because everyone is entitled to have their own opinions.

Some people seem to be under the impression that I'm leaving stories half-written. Well, they just need to check their facts again, because I am certainly not in the habit of starting new stories without completing old ones and all the stories I've posted so far are complete (probably they didn't notice the "THE END" which I make sure to always include). It really surprises me that people just say things like that without checking if what they're saying is actually correct in the first place. No offense intended to anybody, this is just the honest truth.

One more thing... it seems like only Abhirika romances and Abhi-Daya friendship stories are acceptable here. Sorry to say, but I don't remember anything in the guidelines which says that we should stick only to certain topics. If this is the case, then sorry, I'll probably not be posting any story for a long time. I get a lot of ideas every day, and not all of them are the fluffy romantic kind. I prefer to think more creatively- in my field creativity is really important, and it's just what I do. I can't help it.

So until I get an idea for an Abhirika romance- the kind that all of you would like- I'm taking a break from this site. I'll be coming regularly to read all of your stories, of course, because they're all just brilliant. In your own ways, each and every one of you is amazingly talented, and I love reading your stories. Thank you so much for all the encouragement and support you've shown me during my time here. :) :)

_With all due respect and best wishes,_

_**Poesia-Raro**_


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